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CONSTRUCTION ZONE SAFETY: BUILDING BARTD IN OAKLAND

CLOSE COOPERATION WAS REQUIRED WITH BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT DIVISION (BARTD) TO EFFECT ITS PROJECTS AND PROVIDE FOR MAJOR DISRUPTION OF TRAFFIC AND UTILITIES EXISTING BENEATH THE STREETS WHERE THE SUBWAY WAS TO BE CONSTRUCTED. A RAPID TRANSIT TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS FORMED TO MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS TO PLAN IN DETAIL THE CONSTRUCTION IN OAKLAND. FOR THE OUTLYING ROUTES, WHICH WERE ALL OVERHEAD CONSTRUCTION, THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE CITY WAS MAINTAINING EQUIVALENT STREET FACILITIES TO ENSURE ADEQUATE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC. SPECIAL PROBLEMS EXISTED AT TRANSIT STATION LOCATIONS, WHERE LARGE PARKING FACILITIES WERE BEING PROVIDED TO HANDLE THE STORAGE OF TRANSIT PATRONS' AUTOMOBILES. TO HANDLE THE SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION IN DOWNTOWN OAKLAND, BROADWAY WAS CONVERTED TO A ONE-WAY SOUTH- BOUND STREET, AND THE CONTRACTOR REQUIRED TO LEAVE 33 FEET OF THE 70-FT. WIDE STREET OPEN AT ALL TIMES FOR THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. A GOOD PORTION OF THE BUS TRAFFIC HAD TO BE DIVERTED TO A NORTHBOUND ONE-WAY STREET, REQUIRING PARKING REMOVAL FOR BUS STOPS AND THE INSTALLATION FOR SPECIAL SIGNS. NUMEROUS DETOUR SIGNS WERE PLACED BY THE CONTRACTOR ADVISING CROSS-STREET TRAFFIC THAT NORTHBOUND BROADWAY WAS CLOSED. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DETOUR STRIPING WORK WAS REQUIRED, AND THE CITY AGREED TO PERFORM THIS FUNCTION SUBJECT TO REIMBURSEMENT BY BARTD. AN ACCEPTABLE TRAFFIC FLOW WAS MAINTAINED AND VERY FEW COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.